International News for the Latino Community

[LULACFL] Sen. Marco Rubio and Corruption From Private Prisons and Money In Politics

Senador Marco Rubio provides a classic case of how deep corruption runs in our Congress, and what is wrong with so much money in politics, and the negative impact it has on millions of citizens.

It is public information concerning what sources give to political campaigns, who receives it, by name. In the case of Public Companies they must produce an annual report to the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Chairman writes summaries and outlook to shareholders.

In the Sunday August 28, 2016 Tampa Bay Times, Section 2B, is written” Rubio Is A Favorite of Prison Firms GEO Group” . GEO is the smaller of two private prison firms in the range of $3 Billion in sales, and is based in Boca Raton, Fl. The other firm is CCA, based in Tennessee. In this past month alone, GEO Group gave $80,400 to the Rubio campaign, which is in additional to the $30,400 provided by GEO Group employees and a political action committee, and $50,000 the political PAC gave to a the super PAC supporting Rubio. This is all on top of the nearly $190,000 in support Rubio has received dating to his time as Speaker of the Florida House. GEO Group landed a major contract with the State, prior to his presidential run. Rubio is the biggest recipient of campaign funds in Florida.

What is going on, and why is Rubio the darling of GEO Group??

Nothing is accidental. The US is the world’s largest jailer at 7.2 million, and exceeds every other country by big margins, now and in history. Over the past 20 years we have designed longer and longer sentences for the same crime, and legislators have taken the guidelines provided by private prison firms, to pass those laws. Our prisons are filled by mainly Blacks and Latinos for non-violent drug possession or trafficking. Florida is on record of extending those sentences over the years. It is easy to make the connections of pay offs by a prison firm, and the incredible repercussion to millions of mostly minorities and their communities.

Additionally, in those SEC annual report, available through Google research, the Chairman speaks of the good outlook that immigrants present to the firm’s future. Be absolutely sure, that private prisons support blocking immigration reform so they can maintain high occupancy rates. Remember, it takes from $45,000 to $65,000 to house an inmate per year. It takes around $8,000 to cover students costs per year.

Thus, Rubio is the point man for Geo Group to get contracts for prisons in Florida and to block criminal justice reform in Florida,

Add this to the reasons he is not trusted by the Latino population, his flip flopping on amnesty and immigration reform, and lack of sympathy for the plight of the Puerto Rican debt disaster.